Door-operator



G. T. VAN IIoNN.v

DOOR OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I4. 1919.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

3 SHEE TS-SHEET TTI/07250772,

G. T. VAN HORN.

DOOR OPERATOR.

APPucATlon man Nov.14, 1919.

Aug 23, v1921. 3 SHEE fS-SHl-.ET 2.

Patented NPR; M my ,.m. M .l M 3% r WN NN w w .sw mw nu mw .f.l BNQ. NN NN G. T. VAN HORN. DOOR OPERATOR. APPLICATLON FILED NOV.14, 1919.

1,388,533. 'Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

M8 WZ o f /49 i Z Q I.4.41

UNITED s TATES;

PATEN-r OFFICE.

A GEORGE T. VAN I-IOIRN,` OF NUTLEY, NEW J' To all whom it may concern.' r u Be it known that I, GnonGn'T. VAN HORN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nutley, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have inventedV a new and useful Door-Operator, of which the following is a specication. v y

This invention relates' to closure operators, and more particularly to means for mechanically operating closures when suitable latch mechanisms, associated therewith, have been actuated. Y

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character used in connection with garage doors, the operating mechanism being controlled from a point remote fromr the garage, to enable an operator to cause the closures `to open, without `the necessity of the operator getting out of his car. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide means for locking the closures in their open positions, to prevent the closures from moving to their closed positions, under wind pressure. y e

A still further object is to provide automatic means to cause the closures to open, in the event that thesame have atendency to hand in their frames, due to warping of the closures or the framethereof.

d With the foregoing and other. objects in view Vwhich will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimechit beingunderstoo'd that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimechwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the ydrawings Figure 1 illustrates a sectional View taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 2 illustrates a rear elevational view; Y Fig. Spillustrates a top plan view partly in section; d

Fig. 11 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view-through a portion ofthe housing which houses the operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 illustrates a transverse sectional view of one of thedoorconnecting arms;

Fig. 6 illustrates a longitudinal sectional Doon-OPERATOR. n

' Specficationof Letters Patent.. i Patented Aug, 23, 192L Application filed November 11.1, 1919. Serial No. 337,910.

device is shown as applied to a garage opening, in which is supported a closure frame lwhich-includes theside members 5 and 6, and upper member 7, the upper member 7 being shown asspaced-from the roof of the garage to provide a clearance for the operating levers, to be hereinafter more fully described.

The closures, to which the invention is applied, includes the 'hinged sections 8 and 9,

supported bythe hinges 10, to swing in a4 horizontal plane, the forward edges of the door being constructed to closely engage each other, when the door is in its closed position, the longitudinally Vextending board 11, being provided to securely close the connection between the free edges of the door, to prevent wind or air from entering the garage', vat this point. A Y

A bracket member 12, is bolted or otherwise secured to the closure sections 8 and 9, thebrackets 12 providing a pivotal connection between the sections S and 9, and one end of the respective rods 13, the rods 13 having connection with the pivotally connected couplings 14C, which couplings have connection with a link 15,]by means'of the pivot pin 16, passing through the couplings 14, andL registering openings in the link 15, the link 15, as shown, having connection with one end of the arm` 17, the opposite end of said arm 17, extending to a point adjacent the door frame, where the vsame terminates in an enlargement 18, which enlargement 18 embraces the verftically extending shaft 19, and is free to ro tate thereon.

The shaftj19, is supportedbythe bracket 20, which is secured to the inner side of the Y door frame, and includes the bearing members 21 and 22, which bearing members embrace opposite ends of the shaft 19, for properly supporting the same with relation to the i ment 18, formed on one end of the arm 17 inner side of the door frame. The lower bearing member 21, is provided with a plurality of teeth 23, formed in the upper surface thereof, which teeth mesh with the teeth 24, of the upper clutch member 25, provided with the openings 26, which openings are provided for the purpose of receiving an instrument in the form of a rod, for movingV the member 25 with relation to the bearing member 21, for purposes to be hereinafter more fully described.

Screw threads 27, are formed on the eX- treme lower end of the shaft 19, as at 28, which screw threads accommodate the lock nut 29, whereby the clutch 'member 24, is locked with relation to the lower bearing member 21, after the same has been movedto a predetermined position, to properly tension the coiled spring 30, positioned on the shaft 19. i y Y A This coiled spring 30, has its lower end anchored to the clutch member'25, the upper end thereof being` anchored to the enlargeso that movement of the arm 17, in one direction, causes the coiled spring to wind itself around the shaft 19, thus putting` the arm 17 under the tension of the coiled spring 30, to vexert a pressure on the arm 17, in one direction, for causing the doors 3 and 9 to open, when the latch mechanism to be hereinafter more fully described, has been operated.

Une of these rods 13, is shown as including telescoping` tubular sections 31 and 32, the section having one of its ends positioned in the tubular member 33, which in turn has the connection 34, which contacts with ,its bracket member 12, for providing the pivotal connection between the section 9, and rod 13. Y

A coiled spring 35, is disposed within the teleseoping sections 31 and 32, the end 36 of said spring 35, having connection with the tubular members 32 and 33, by means of a Cotter pin :37, passing through the side walls thereof, the opposite end of coiled spring 35, having connection with the tubularlsection 31, by means of the cotter pin 38, which passes throughfthe side walls of the tubular section 31. From the foregoing it will be seen thatwhen the closures are in their open positions, the coiled spring` 35 is placed under tension, and the tubular sections 31 and 33 are held in spaced relation with each other.

lllhen the operating means is actuated to move the closures to a closed position, the coiled spring 35 draws the sections 31 and 33 toward each other, thus shortening the distance which the actuating arm 17 is permitted te move, with the result that the same closes first prior to the closing of the adjacent section,

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the closures are in a closed position, the

tubular sections 31 and 32, are in a position as indicated by Fig. 5 of the drawings, but upon releasing of the latch members, to permit the closures to assume an open position, the coiled spring 35 draws the tubular sections 31 and 33 toward each other, with the re'sult that the adjacent ends thereof abut each other, causing a sudden pressure to be eerted on the closure 8, with the result that the same swings open. undertsood that the coiled spring 30, exerts the necessary pressure on the closures 3 and 9, to cause the same to open and that the tubular connection forming a part of the opposed rod 13, merely exerts a pressure on the closure section S, to obviate any danger of the Same tending to hang in the frame supporting the closures.

The closure 8 carries a keeper 39, which is provided with a cut out portion 40, and is formed with a depending section 41, whereby the keeper is secured tothe closure 8, the same being disposed adjacent the upper edge of the closure, to be engaged by the latch member 42, which is disposed on the inner surface of the door frame, at a point ,within the path of travel of the keeper, that is, when the door is moved to its closed position, whereupon the latch member 42, which comprises a spring pressed plunger, seats within the opening 40 of the keeper, and secures the closures in a closed position.

A. similar latch member 43, is disposed on the inner side of the door frame in close 'proximity to the latch member 42, and coperates with the keeper 44', carried by the arm 17, which keeper is engaged by the latch niember 43, when the closure sections are moved to the limit of their open position, thus it will be seen that the closure sections S and 9, are also locked in their open positions, against closing, due to wind pressure.

The bell crank levers 45 and 46, are pivotally supported adjacent the latch members 42 and 43, and have connection therewith through the medium of the links47 and 48, the bell crank levers 45 and 46 having connection with a bell crank lever 49, through the'inedium of the connecting links 50, and 51, which connecting links, have one of their respective ends positioned in suitable openings formed in one of the arms of the bell crank lever 49, the opposite arm of the bell crank lever being apertured as at 52, to receive the upper end of the connecting rod 53, the lower end of said connecting rod being disposed in an opening formed in one of the arms of the bell crank lever 54, piv otally connected within a suitable housing formed adjacent the floor of the garage, and at a point directly under the bell crank lever 49, the opposite arm of the bellvcrank lever 54, extending downwardly and lying in a plane to be engaged by one end lof the relatively long horizontally disposed connecting It is of course to be arm thereofl having connection with the connecting rod 55, as at 59, the opposite arm having connection with the bell crank lever (30, pivoted adjacent the upper portion of the vertical housing),` 57, through the rod 6l, which as showmhas its upper end connected to the bell crank lever 60. y

Supported within the upper portion of the housing 57, is a horizontally disposed shaft 62, on which the bell crank lever 60is secured to move therewith, the bell crank lever 60 being urged downwardly, by the coiled spring 63, which has its ends 64 embedded in the side walls or the khousing 5T, the intermediate portion embracing one of the arms ot the bell crank lever GO.

Hingedly supported within one of the side walls ot the housing` 5T, is a door 66, which door is provided with a. wear plate 67, formed on the inner surface thereof, and contacts with one armv of the bell crank lever 60, so that movement or the door 6,5 in one direction, causes a relative movement ot the bell crank lever 60, to exert a pull on the connecting rod 6l, which in turn releases the latch member 42, from its keeper, with the result that the coiled spring 30 unwinds, thus opening the closure sections 8 and 9.

The door 66, is provided with a locking mechanism, or' a common form, so that unauthorized persons are prevented from opening the doors. ln order that the coiled spring 30 will be prevented from causing the door sections S and 9, to open too sud denly, l have provided a door chock in the form oi a rod 68, which has one oit its ends Vpivoted to the door r trame, through the bracket G9 the forward extrennt 1 of the rod 7 G8 being threaded as at.70to receive the nut 7l operating thereon, the nut 7l adapted to contact-with one end of the coiled spring 72, loosely mounted on the rod 68.

A guide bracket 7B, is carried by the door, and is provided with an opening 7 4, which accommodatesy the rod 68, and which rod is positioned therein to have a tree sliding movement with relation thereto. Thus it will be seen that when the closures swing to their open positions, one 'end oli' the coiled spring 72, is engaged by one edge of the bracket 73, and is compressed between the nut 71 and bracket 73, thereby retarding vthe movement of the closures.

l In the-operation ot the device to cause the doors to open, the door 6G, is unlocked and forced inwardly, whereupon the same contacts with the bell crank lever 60, which operates to release the latch member 42 from its keeper, with the result that the coiled spring 3() causes the closures 8 and 9 to move to their open position. Itdfollows that the keeper 44 moves into engagement with the latch member 43, whereupon the closures 8 and 9 are locked in their open posi- "tion and prevented from closing due to wind pressure.

When it becomes necessary to close the closures 8 and 9, the bell crank lever 49 is operated by a pull on the rod 75, which results in a corresponding movement of the bell crank lever 46, tofmove the latch member 43 from its keeper 44. The closures 8 andQ are now released from their locked open position, and are tree to be moved to their closed positions. i

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l. In combination with opposed hinged closures, an operating mechanism including rods having connection with the closures, an operating rod having connectionl with the rods, one oit said rods including` a sectional tubular portion, the sections of the tubular portion being normally held out of contact, means 'tor forcing the section together, for causing one closure to close priorto the closing of the other closure, and means for releasing the closures.

2. In combination with opposed hinged closures, an operating mechanism including rods having connection with the closures,

one of the rods including tubular sections,

Va tubular member positioned within the tubular sections, resilient means disposed within the tubular member and having connection with the sections, said tubular sections adapted to be normally held out of engagement with each other, and said resilient means adapted to urge the ends of the tubu lar sections together when the operated rod is moved. f

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto atiixed my signature in the presence or two witnesses.

GEORGE T. VAN HORN.

lVitnesses i Gnonsr. C. BAPTISTE, HARRY JOHNSON. 

